A novel permanent gauge-cam station for surface flow observations on the Tiber river

摘要

Flow monitoring of riverine environments is crucial for hydrology and hydraulic engineering practice. Besidesfew experimental implementations, flow gauging relies on local water level and surface flow velocity measurements throughultrasonic meters and radars. In this paper, we describe a novel permanent gauge-cam station for large scale and continuousobservation of surface flows, based on remote acquisition and calibration of video data. Located on the Tiber river, in the centerof Rome, Italy, the station captures one-minute videos every 10 min over an area oriented along the river cross-section ofup to 20.6 × 15.5 m2. In a feasibility study, we demonstrate that accurate surface flow velocity estimations can be obtainedby analyzing experimental images via particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). In medium illumination conditions (70–75 lux),PTV leads to velocity estimations in close agreement with radar records and is less affected by uneven lighting than large scaleparticle image velocimetry. Future efforts will be devoted to the development of a comprehensive testbed infrastructure forinvestigating the potential of multiple optics-based approaches for surface hydrology.